ROME – The Sand Valley Golf Resort under construction could have a considerable economic impact on the area, local leaders say.

Sand Valley — being built at a remote 1,500-acre site in Rome — could boast up to five courses if the first and subsequent courses are successful. The first course, which already is under construction and expected to open in spring 2017, will have 18 holes.

Sand Valley’s first course will employ roughly 50 to 100 people — including seven to 10 full-time jobs, 25 to 35 part-time or seasonal employees and 20 to 50 caddies — according to the project’s planned unit development proposal.

However, if the first Sand Valley course is a success, the number of jobs will increase with the number of golf courses, said Michael Keiser Jr., the son of Sandy Valley’s developer, Mike Keiser, who is working on getting Sand Valley up and running.

“The money customers spend — that goes to employees, caddies, (and) that stays in the community,” Michael Keiser Jr. said in a July 16 interview with the Daily Tribune.

If Sand Valley hosts five golf courses, the golf resort could become one of the area’s largest employers. For instance, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon — also founded by Mike Keiser — opened its first golf course in 1999 and is now a five-course resort employing more than 800 people.

In Bandon, Ore., Michael Keiser Jr. said the town attracted new businesses once the course opened.

Although it’s too soon to know specifically how the resort will impact the area, Heidi Roekle, executive director of Adams County Chamber of Commerce, said the resort will draw considerable economic activity to the county.

“We think it will really make Adams County a premier golf destination,” said Roekle, adding that the resort likely will attract tourist-related business to the area.

“I think we’ll have a few more shops and dining areas that will pop up in the northern part of Adams County,” Roekle said.

Local business owners are excited about the golf project’s potential, too. Jerry Kline, owner of Stage Coach cafe in Rome’s Alpine Business Park, said he thinks the new course will give the area a boost. In fact, he’s already served some of the people working on the site.

“You know it’s going to bring revenue,” Kline said about the resort.

Al Schmidt, owner of Rome Realty, said Sand Valley might be responsible for a small increase in demand for real estate recently, but it’s still too soon to know the effect.

“It’s going to be a slow burn — but helpful to everyone out here in the long run,” Schmidt said.

According to Sand Valley’s planned unit development proposal, the cost of the first stage of the project is projected to be about $16 million, with $9.5 million being used for golf course-related expenses including restoration of the site’s sand barren, road improvements and the costs of maintenance structures. The remaining $6.5 million will fund the site’s buildings, including the clubhouse and overnight lodging.

As for the project’s funding, Michael Keiser Jr. said that the primary source comes from Sand Valley’s founding members, who all invested an unspecified sum of money. In return for their investment, the founders and several subsequent generations will receive a lifetime pass to Sand Valley.

The resort will charge about $125 to $200 for a round of golf, said Michael Keiser Jr. He said the resort plans on adjusting rates so local residents can receive a discounted price during the off-season.

More on Sand Valley

This is part of an occasional Daily Tribune Media series about the planned development of a golf resort in the town of Rome. Upcoming installments include a tour of the site where the course will be built and an in-depth look at what has happened in Bandon, Oregon, since Bandon Dunes Golf Resort was built.